This weeks gourmet ideas

critic — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:00:12 +0000

Cherry tomatoes the star of this late-winter side dish
(By Jill Wendholt Silva, McClatchy Newspapers) Bright red and juicy, cherry tomatoes are usually tossed into salads, eaten as a snack or used for a garnish. But there’s no reason you can’t work the tiny tomatoes into a savory side dish.

Warm Tomato Crisp is an unusual way to add a fresh squirt of flavor in late winter. The savory crisp makes the perfect accompaniment to roast chicken. And when it comes to balanced nutrition, tomatoes are certainly better for you than another wad of stuffing or piles of mashed potatoes.

What’s brewing with fresh slices of ginger?
Q. You recently answered a question about how to keep fresh ginger. I sometimes add a few slices of ginger to black or green tea. Is there a recipe for making ginger tea, or have I been making it all along?

You’re making ginger tea if you change one small thing in the name. Technically, a tea can only be made from tea leaves. If you make an infusion from anything else, including fresh or dried herbs or a rhizome like ginger, it’s called a tisane, sometimes spelled ptisan.

Thanks to Conservatove Rumblings Blog for this update and story. Providing great iinsight at http://ianessling.com/blog/.

News From Charlotte NC

critic — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:30:12 +0000

Carolina Beer starts new era in production
In preparation for its newest packaging line, Carolina Beer and Beverage temporarily contracted the production of its beer brands to other breweries.

Mooresville Fire Department and Lowe’s receive honors
For their contributions to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, two local organizations were honored Feb. 25 at the MDA awards banquet. The Mooresville Fire Department and Lowe’s received two of the highest honors for 2009 at the annual awards banquet, held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Mooresville. The event served to honor MDA volunteers and sponsors for their 2009 contributions to the Association.

Thanks to Conservatove Rumblings Blog for this update and story. Providing great iinsight at http://ianessling.com/blog/.

Abbey’s Apples Schatz

Restaurant Recipes — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:00:06 +0000

Abbey’s Apples Schatz
Serving Size: 8

Ingredients
3 pounds cooking apples
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
1/4 cup butter

Cooking Directions
Core, pare and chop apples into bite-size chunks.
Put some lemon juice on the slices to prevent discoloration.

Place in saucepan with water over medium heat.
Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Add butter
Cook, covered for about 15 minutes until hot and tender.

Charlotte food quick hit

critic — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 05:00:02 +0000

Don’t fight to make kids eat: Try gentle nudges
(By Anne Brockhoff, McClatchy Newspapers) Young children are notoriously finicky. Broccoli, salmon, beets – name a healthy food, and there’s a preschooler who won’t eat it.

“Picky, picky, picky,” many a parent has muttered over the antics of a pint-sized diner.

Great pair: Bacon and Brussels sprouts
(By Mark Bittman, The New York Times) In recent years, Brussels sprouts have made the happy transition to trendy: We see them cooked in stock, roasted, sauteed and now shredded.

The shredding – which can be done in moments in a food processor equipped with the slicing (not grating) disc – cuts cooking time and results in a nicely crisp and uniform texture.

Broccoli, carrots and peas are taunting me
The beauty of our local food economy is that it is spread across various microclimates surrounding Charlotte. But we need more local growers.

There is a misconception that us farmers, because we are farmers, are able to grow anything in the seed catalogs. That is certainly not true in our case, although I think we have tried to grow just about every crop available.

Thanks to Conservatove Rumblings Blog for this update and story. Providing great iinsight at http://ianessling.com/blog/.

Charlotte Headlines

critic — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:00:08 +0000

New veterans group seeks members
The Otto J. Ernst Chapter of the U.S. Merchant Marines and U.S. Navy Armed Guard has formed in this area, and meets the second Tuesday of each month at noon at the Golden Corral restaurant in Concord.

Blue heron project, osprey honoree to be highlighted at wildlife program
The next Lake Norman Wildlife Conservationists free nature program, set for 7 p.m. Thursday, March 11, promises to be an evening full of surprises.

Climber’s body found along Blue Ridge Parkway near Sparta
A man was killed while ice climbing on Ice Rock, an area along the Blue Ridge Parkway south of Sparta, authorities said today.

Thanks to Conservatove Rumblings Blog for this update and story. Providing great iinsight at http://ianessling.com/blog/.

Legal Sea Foods’ Clam Chowder Recipe

Restaurant Recipes — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:00:03 +0000

Legal Sea Foods’ Clam Chowder Recipe
Ingredients:
4 quarts littleneck clams (about 1 2/3 cups cooked and chopped)
1 garlic clove — chopped
1 cup water
2 ounces salt pork — finely chopped
2 cups chopped onions
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups fish stock
1 1/2 pounds potatoes — peeled, and
diced into 1/2″ cubes
2 cups light cream
Oyster crackers — (optional)
Cooking Directions:
Clean the clams and place them in a large pot along with the garlic and water.
Steam the clams just until opened, about 6 to 10 minutes, depending upon their size.
Drain and shell the clams, reserving the broth.
Mince the clam flesh, and set aside.
Filter the clam broth either through coffee filters or cheesecloth and set aside.
In a large, heavy pot slowly render the salt pork.
Remove the cracklings and set them aside.
Slowly cook the onions in the fat for about 6 minutes, stirring frequently, or until cooked through but not browned.
Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.
Add the reserved clam broth and the fish stock, and whisk to remove any flour lumps.
Bring the liquid to a boil, add the potatoes, lower the heat, and simmer until
the potatoes are cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Stir in the reserved clams, salt-pork cracklings and light cream.
Heat the chowder until it is the temperature you like.
Serve in large soup bowls with oyster crackers on the side.

This weeks food tips

critic — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 01:00:11 +0000

In this chili, you’ll never miss the meat
(United Feature Syndicate) In the past, when we thought of TVP (which was not often), we always thought of chili. And we also thought “compromise.”

Using textured vegetable protein, or TVP, for meat felt like a last resort in our efforts toward vegetarian cooking.

Ovens cancels all 3 chef shows
(By Kathleen Purvis, kpurvis@charlotteobserver.com)

Comfort food may turn cutting-edge this year
(By Sylvia Rector, Detroit Free Press) The food trends and ingredients that hit big in 2009 were mostly familiar and easy to like.

We saw sunny-side eggs topping everything from salads to gourmet burgers, the proliferation of artisanal thin-crust pizzas, more burgers everywhere, and an explosion in vegetable gardening inspired by first lady Michelle Obama.

“Picky, picky, picky,” many a parent has muttered over the antics of a pint-sized diner.

Thanks to Conservatove Rumblings Blog for this update and story. Providing great iinsight at http://ianessling.com/blog/.

News From Charlotte NC

critic — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:30:26 +0000

State wrestling results – first round
NCHSAA state wrestling championships At Greensboro Coliseum 4A: First Round results

Police seek 3 in vending machine thefts
Mooresville police are seeking three suspects in the vandalizing of vending machines at the Hampton Inn hotel in Mooresville.

Tonight’s playoff schedule
Tonight’s sectional final schedule:

Thanks to Conservatove Rumblings Blog for this update and story. Providing great iinsight at http://ianessling.com/blog/.

Denny’s Bacon Caesar Burger Recipe

Restaurant Recipes — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:30:02 +0000

Denny’s Bacon Caesar Burger Recipe
Denny’s Bacon Caesar Burger Recipe
Serving Size: 1

Ingredients:
1 hamburger bun
1 hamburger pattie
1 slice lettuce
2 hamburger slices of dill pickles
1 slice red onion
2 slices tomato
2 slices Monterey Jack cheese
2 slices cooked bacon
1/4 cup Caesar dressing — served on the side

Cooking Directions:
Cook hamburger pattie
Season pattie with salt and pepper
Put a little butter on each side of the bun
Toast slightly in a skillet or in the oven using the broiler
Assemble the burger in this order from bottom to top
1. Bottom bun
2. Slice of lettuce
3. 2 slices of tomato
4. 2 slices of pickle
5. Onion slice
6. Hamburger pattie
7. 2 slices of Monterey Jack cheese
8. 2 slices of bacon placed crossways
8. Top bun

Sharp food ideas

critic — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 13:30:13 +0000

Food Notes
Dust off that bottle of wine

and head to Andrew Blair’s

Unfortunately, thawed melon will bring down fruit salad
Q. Can I freeze fresh watermelon and cantaloupe for use later in fruit salad without it getting mushy?

Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do about the mushy-fruit problem with melon. Without getting too technical, there is liquid in the cells of all fruits and vegetables. When the liquid freezes, it forms ice crystals, which breaks the cell walls and allows what’s in the cells to come out.

Turn on your senses in kitchen
(By Judy Hevrdejs, Chicago Tribune) Before you slice into a tomato, chop an onion, pull out a skillet – before you even turn on the stove – turn on your senses.

Your ability to use all your senses – to see, hear, smell, feel and taste – may be the simplest way to up your culinary cred.

Thanks to Conservatove Rumblings Blog for this update and story. Providing great iinsight at http://ianessling.com/blog/.